Leading the world's museums in decorative arts and design, the V&A in London attracted just under 3.3 million visitors in 2013.
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19. Science Museum, London —
Another London museum, the Science Museum in South Kensington, also saw about 3.3 million visitors in 2013.
Science Museum
18. National Museum of Natural Science, Taiwan —
The National Museum of Natural Science in central Taichung, Taiwan, saw a 15% increase in visitors between 2012 and 2013. About 3.4 million people visited in 2013.
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17. Musee d'Orsay, Paris —
The Musee d'Orsay in Paris draws visitors for its expansive collection of art created between 1848 and 1914. The museum is housed in a former railway station adorned with a giant clock. About 3.5 million people visited in 2013.
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16. Shanghai Science & Technology Museum —
The Shanghai Science and Technology Museum saw a nearly 12% increase in attendance from 2012 to 2013. China is investing substantially in museum development, according to the 2013 Museum Index.
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15. Centre Pompidou, Paris —
Attendance dropped by a little more than 1% at the Centre Pompidou in Paris in 2013, with about 3.7 million people visiting the museum.
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14. National Gallery of Art, Washington —
The National Gallery of Art's sculpture garden is a popular spot on the National Mall in Washington. The museum saw about 4.1 million visitors in 2013.
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13. National Palace Museum, Taiwan —
The National Palace Museum in Taiwan had about 4.4 million visitors in 2013.
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12. Tate Modern, London —
In 2013, the Tate Modern in London saw a nearly 8% dip in attendance from 2012. About 4.9 million people visited the museum.
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11. National Museum of American History —
The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington saw 4.9 million visitors in 2013, up about 2% from 2012.
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10. American Museum of Natural History —
The American Museum of Natural History in New York held steady year over year with 5 million visitors.
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9. Natural History Museum, London —
The Natural History Museum in London saw a more than 6% increase in attendance in 2013, with nearly 5.3 million visitors. The museum is among six London museums ranking in the top 20 most popular in 2013.
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8. Vatican Museums —
The Vatican Museums saw a nearly 8% increase in attendance in 2013, with nearly 5.5 million visitors.
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7. National Gallery, London —
The National Gallery in London saw a nearly 17% spike in attendance in 2013, jumping from about 5.2 million visitors in 2012 to 6 million visitors in 2013.
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6. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York —
Nearly 6.3 million people visited The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 2013.
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5. British Museum, London —
London's British Museum had a more than 20% increase in visitors in 2013, with nearly 6.7 million.
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4. National Air and Space Museum —
The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington received almost 7 million visitors in 2013.
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3. National Museum of China, Beijing —
The National Museum of China in Beijing was the third most visited museum in the world in 2013, with nearly 7.5 million visitors. That represents a nearly 40% jump in attendance from 2012.
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2. National Museum of Natural History —
The National Museum of Natural History in Washington is the world's second most visited museum, with 8 million visitors in 2013.
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1. Louvre, Paris —
The Louvre in Paris is the world's most visited museum, with 9.3 million visitors in 2013.
